


here's to movin' on (without really doing it)

by jaylove



Series: matters of the heart [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, but they're not Actually in it anyways so, there's implications of a few ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 11:17:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11147325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaylove/pseuds/jaylove
Summary: Fitz has an issue of the heart, but no one really realizes what it actually is - other than the person everyone's sure it involves. (It's separated into a few different chapters, but none of them are really long.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this first chapter is essentially just a scene from the end of s2e04 that provides a little background - it's fairly short but also not entirely necessary so if you want to just skip it, that shouldn't cause any problems regarding the rest of the story

"Fitz, this team wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Hunter's words make the engineer stop, turning just enough to give the Englishman a look over his shoulder. The expression he's met with is sincere and open. "Let me buy you a beer, mate." The gentle urging is accented by the man's vague, beer-bottle-in-hand gesturing. Still, it gets Fitz to turn around fully. He takes the bottle before quickly stepping back again, leaning on the edge of the table, giving only one final glance toward the empty corner.

Mac hasn't opened his own beer yet, flicking his silent gaze between the other two men as Hunter continues speaking. He seems to realize it's a bonding experiment that could make or break the tentative friendships. "We haven't gotten to work together much yet," Hunter begins, barely pausing during the ensuing ramble, "but I thought this was a successful mission, and if we keep up with this teamwork, there'll be more successful missions, and plenty more beer, and plenty more - "

The end of it is cut off abruptly. "Hey so," Fitz begins, playing with his still unopened bottle and  _almost_ smiling, looking three times more casual than he has for months. "I don't have an ex, but there was this girl I liked, and I told her how I feel, but she doesn't feel the same way I do so she left." He smiles with a little more confidence, beginning to twist the cap to loosen it. His eyes bounce from Mac, to Hunter, to back again, waiting for a response from either.

Those awkward words hang in the air for a few moments, a lengthy pause filling the space between the three men. Hunter stares at Fitz, openly gawking, stunned into (unusual) silence. Mac is more calm - actually, he looks almost as though he'd been expecting such a sudden confession, concern pinching his brows as he mulls over his private thoughts. After what feels like eternity, his expression relaxes some as he shares a look with Hunter. The Englishman hesitates in consideration. Then, voice gentler than normal, Hunter extends a bit of an olive branch. "I'm lost there, mate. From what I can see, she's missin' out." He raises his bottle in a salute, half shrugging. "To movin' on."

As Mac echoes the motion, Fitz raises his bottle carefully. "To movin' on." He repeats, smiling a little more shyly and finally twisting the cap fully off.

He misses the look his (somewhat new) friends share as he takes his first drink.


	2. Chapter 2

It's only a few days after their first shared beer that Fitz slides into a chair near Hunter. "Hey," nervousness practically rolls off his voice. He's trying to be discreet, but the presence still catches the attention of Skye and Trip from where they'd been bickering in the kitchen. Hunter's own eyebrows are already shooting up at the discomfort in Fitz's appearance. The Scotsman picks at his sleeve with one hand, leaning on the arm of the chair, closer to where Hunter sits on one end of the couch. "I, uh," he scratches the back of his head as he stumbles for words, "need to ask your - your advice on something."

"Famous last words," Trip can't help but quip from the kitchen, earning a punch and hissed scolding from Skye. Just seeming to notice them, Fitz pales a little in intensified anxiety. 

Knowing it's been a while since anyone saw the fellow looking and acting like this, Hunter quickly gets his attention back, not even bothering to look at the other spies listening in. "Sure thing, mate." Hunter pauses to examine Fitz's shifting before offering a half-smile. "What immense wisdom can I dispose on you this time?" (No one notices but Skye when Trip lets out a snort, prompting her to quickly shuffle her friend on his way. She resumes her concerned spot against the island before she can miss anything.)  
  
He plays with the end of his sleeve for a few moments more before Fitz finds himself explaining in a rush. Though his speech has improved immensely, he hasn't quite gotten the hang of his vocal  _level_ again. "It's about a girl," he forgets to keep his voice down as he begins, "or, well, sort of. In theory. Just for, you know," Fitz's voice chokes off for a second as he struggles to find the words. "For - For future reference." Hunter gives a nod of encouragement, prompting him forward just as quickly. "How do you ... get over someone you loved? Not  _loved-_ loved, just - " He takes in a deep breath, bright blue eyes shining with nervousness, swallowing past an almost visible lump in his throat. "Just loved a bit. Or ... a lot. Okay," Fitz sighs, " _maybe loved-_ loved."  
  
A lesser man - and less experienced in relationships - might not have the slightest idea what Fitz is speaking of, but Hunter offers a noise of understanding as he shifts and leans forward. Fitz continues to wait anxiously. "Well, I guess for starters, this have somethin' to do with that girl you were talking about the other night?" The Scotsman tenses too discretely for Hunter to notice the resistance in time. "Who was she, anyways? 'Cause it's always - " He's cut off quite sharply by Fitz leaping up. Too late, he realizes he must have pressed past some unspoken line.  
  
"Never mind," Fitz's voice is almost strained sounding, and if his gaze directing toward Skye is any indication, he's suddenly aware of how indiscreet their conversation actually was. He's taking off before he's even finished speaking. "It doesn't matter anyways."  
  
There's a heavy silence till he's gone, broken by Skye finally sighing and approaching the couch. Hunter turns to face her, waiting while she pushes herself up onto the back of it, though her own eyes are locked in the direction the Scotsman went. "Every time it looks like he's seriously moving on ... " She trails off, distant expression on her face. One hand is tapping absentmindedly on the couch.

Hunter counts those taps for a long moment, till understanding starts to show in his eyes. Voice softer, he directs his attention back to her face, watching her with pity. "How long?" Skye's head snaps down to him in surprise. He can tell when she's realized she's too late to deny it. She looks away in defeat, pulling both of her hands onto her lap. They don't talk about the fact they both, apparently, know Morse code. (It's something he picked up from Bobbi a long time ago - Ironically, Fitz learned it with her, back on the Bus.) Hunter waits patiently while she schools her emotions, just watching till she's pulled herself from her thoughts again.  
  
"You really want to know who it was?" She doesn't wait for a response, just pushes ahead. "Simmons. I don't have any idea what happened between them - I just know he saved her life, almost died, and I was the one waiting for him to wake up." Somehow, that answers Hunter's ignored question. There's a note of bitterness in her voice. Whether it's jealousy or genuine anger, is harder to say. A protective look flashes through her eyes, like she's instinctively preparing to fight on Fitz's behalf, but hasn't found anyone to fight yet. The information does put things in better perspective for Hunter. Suddenly, all the distant looks make more sense. He may be the new guy, but even he had heard about the great FitzSimmons duo, which he was now filing away as greatly overrated.   
  
It does give him a bit of an idea - but that's for another day, when things are easier, and scars are healed. 


	3. Chapter 3

Mac is the one who waits impatiently for the lab to be free. He's not above glaring the other technicians into leaving, hovering just at the edge of Fitz's shadow. His friend continues to work, mumbling nonsense here and there, oblivious. Once everyone else has left, Mac ducks out to grab a couple of beers. He's fairly certain he can use them to lure Fitz off to play video games. The Scotsman is in dire need of a fun intervention since Simmons has returned.

He comes back to Trip talking to Fitz and, if he didn't keep his head shaved, he'd probably be trying to rip his hair out right now.  
  
Fitz is frowning a little, but the glance he sends as Mac enters doesn't indicate the conversation being private. He accepts the offered bottle of beer, then turns his attention back to the field agent, turning the bottle around in his hands thoughtfully. 

Trip offers Mac a polite nod from where he leans on the table. "As I was saying," Again, the conversation doesn't seem a private one. Mac settles back to listen and wait it out. "I just think it's buggin' her out that two of her  _best friends_ are barely speaking to each other." Suddenly realizing what the topic is, Mac tries to feign continued disinterest. They're both more focused on talking as it is. "Don't get me wrong - what happened wasn't cool, but maybe you could try and extend an olive branch?" Trip quickly reroutes as Fitz's frown begins to change to a scowl. "Or something else." He scratches his head, voicing his thoughts as they come. "You three used to watch movies together, right? Just do that! Skye can act as a physical buffer and you don't have to talk to Simmons or vice versa. Just make a few comments on the movie and, uh, definitely don't make that face."

" _We_ didn't watch movies." Fitz's tone is sharp and sour as he sets his beer down and openly glares. "It was just - " His voice cuts off just as quickly as it rose, while a note of pain flashes through his eyes. All the fight leaves him in one breath. "Just her and I." There's an awkward silence before Trip sighs, pushing away from the table and mumbling a good night to Fitz and Mac, then finally leaving the lab. Fitz is staring ahead, expression downcast as his thoughts seem to take him over. Mac takes a swig of beer. 

He knows Fitz must be lost in thoughts of better days with Simmons. The general consensus is that the two of them were the greatest pair in SHIELD history. So, when it becomes clear the fog isn't breaking on its own, he leans forward and offers gentle advice. "Maybe you should try and talk to her again, Turbo. It can't - " He's silenced by the swift glare Fitz shoots him, left to only watch as the engineer sweeps from the lab angrily.


	4. Chapter 4

"I am  _not_ in love with you." Fitz's voice is laced with an anger that must have been bubbling up for ages. "Yeah, I made a mistake in telling you as much, I never should have spoken up in the first place and - " He stumbles over his words as he realizes they aren't garnering the response he expected, surprise sweeping the bitterness out of him. "What's that bloody look for?"

"I'm relieved! Ugh, thank God." Simmons drops on the stool nearby him with the force of a rock, propping her elbows on the table and leaning forward with a smile. A smile that borders a smirk. "Here I thought I was going to have to give you a talk, for a while!" She reaches over to place a hand on his arm, face softening with fondness. Fitz tenses a little, but curiosity keeps him from pushing her away, for now at least. "I'm not too proud to admit I don't know everything about you - much less  _understand_ everything. But I certainly know you well enough to realize who you're in love with!" Her scoff earns a sheepish smile from him. Some of the tension leaves the lab, while just a bit of their old platonic bond takes it's place hesitantly. 

His good mood fades quickly, expression falling as his eyes land on his hands again. This time his frown is more defeated than irritated. "I don't know what to say." Running a hand through his hair roughly, Fitz studies the desk surface and elaborates his problem some. "Why would she ever give me a chance? 've been an arse to her here recently. And it's not - not like she might've been interested in the first place." He props his chin on one hand, the other tapping a nervous pattern on the metal he leans on. Simmons watches him with a look of growing concern. (Last she saw him, he certainly wasn't _this_ lovestruck.)

"I don't know," she keeps her tone conversational and light, patting his arm before releasing it again. "Speaking as one of her closest friends, you certainly don't have a definitively negative chance. I'm sure she understands your more recent behavior - and she'll understand even more once you tell her how you feel!"

" _Once_?" He echoes, much more apprehensively.

Something flashes through her eyes - maybe mischievous, maybe determined, maybe just fierce. Her smile stretches further across her face as his stomach sinks. "Oh, yes," Simmons muses cheerfully, "because now that I'm back, I am not giving you a choice on the matter. You _are_ going to ask Skye on a date, and soon. I'd also advise just inviting her to dinner rather than starting with proclaiming your undying love. Tends to put a girl off." Rising from her seat, she leans over to give the shocked (and terrified) engineer a pat on the cheek. "Good night, Fitz!"   
  
And with that, Simmons leaves him in the labs with a fresh set of nightmares to get him through the night.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: this was the first time i've ever written simmons saying something and now i'm wondering what took me so long


End file.
